Canty, Tuck have clearance to wear elaborate face masks

Per NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, the former Giants teammates (Canty now plays for the Ravens) applied for and received medical clearance to wear face masks that depart from the NFL’s limit of four horizontal bars and three vertical bars.

The issue emerged on Friday after the NFL advised Mathis, who plays linebacker for the Colts, that his new face mask cannot be worn in games.

The specific medical reason allowing Tuck and Canty to wear the non-conforming face masks isn’t known. Whatever it is, any player that wants to wear a similar face mask needs a doctor to claim that the player suffers from the same condition.

Tuck’s helmet is actually a good thing; it isn’t for style, it is for safety. Two years, Tuck got a neck injury from some player sticking his fingers in Tuck’s face mask and yanked while he was running by that player. It was an injury that nagged him all season. Now with the new mask, player can’t stick their fingers in the mask anymore.

I am going to guess that Canty’s exception was given to him because of the eye injury he suffered when he had a bottle or something bashed on his eye at a bar back in college. That’s why is eye is all jacked up now.

Canty wears it because of a previous eye injury, as the extra bars leave less room for hands, feet, etc to gouge an eye. Tuck wears it because of a previous neck injury, with the extra bars making it more difficult for an opponent to grab his facemask and wrench his neck (which, ironically, Canty is illustrating in the photo provided with this story).

First off , as a die hard Ravens fan, let me just say ……Yay! Now, the reason Cantu has gotten clearance is because he got injured in his eye and he can barely see in said eye. Therefore, he is very cautious that a player’s finger will poke him or get even close to the eye because, if any damage comes to the already damaged eye, he could go blind in said eye. I’m just glad he can bring his signature look, and get more of what he got in the very 1st 3rd down of the ravens preseason game on Thursday(a sack). I still think the rule sucks but at least Chris can wear his because personally I think its cool.

Sorry for typo: Canty. Also, if you see him, you can clearly see his eye is very damaged so I hope people wouldnt doubt that his reason is not only substantiated, but its painfully obvious. I rarely give the NFL credit when it comes to The Emporer(Goodell) , but they were right on this one. I can’t speak for the other guy that was allowed but I’m guessing they probably got his right also.

Tuck has stated in the past that his neck problems stem from players grabbing his facemask.

wttoolman says:Aug 10, 2013 5:45 AM

Chris Canty has worn a special facemask and eye shield since college. He was involved in some kind of fight where he suffered broken bones around his eye socket. He truly wears the special facemask for a reason, not just to look cool.

floratiotime says:Aug 10, 2013 5:49 AM

Both players took a lot of fingers to the eyes so they went with the lattice facemask. It’s not a big mystery.

Joemontanaflacco says:Aug 10, 2013 7:20 AM

Canty had a serious eye injury and can’t risk a Steelroid trying to poke him the eye.

mikellie says:Aug 10, 2013 7:23 AM

Jail Bar facemasks. Only allowed to be worn by NY Giants players. LOL.

I don’t know about tuck, but canty has a problem with his left eye. He was poked in it in the beginning of his career. The mask helps to make sure no player can inadvertently stick their fingers in the facemask and possibly damage his eye further.

crownofthehelmet says:Aug 10, 2013 7:45 AM

“Whatever it is, any player that wants to wear a similar face mask needs a doctor to claim that the player suffers from the same condition.”
—————————————————————–
The medical condition is called “tired of getting smacked in the mouth by the Steelers”.

The article very wrongly makes it look like Canty and Tuck have BS issues justifying their facemasks, but there is plenty of reportage and direct comments from the two players over the years explaining their issues.

Canty was hit in the eye by a bottle when he was an uninvolved bystander to a bar fight in college. He can see out of his eye, but it is now more sensitive to trauma, so he wears an eye shield and an extensive facemask to prevent opponent’s fingers intentionally or unintentionally poking him in his previously injured eye. There are plenty of articles available on the web about it.

Tuck had a bad neck sprain a few years ago. He switched to an extensive facemask so that opponents would not intentionally or unintentionally grab or twist his facemask and make his neck problems worse.

With all the attention given to football injuries, player health, and rules requiring protective equipment, no one should mock or made snide remarks about player safety concerns.

bigdicebuddha says:Aug 10, 2013 8:31 AM

Tuck had/has a neck injury. Defenders were taking advantage of the injury by grabbing his facemask and twisting it to aggrivate it. Tuck went to a facemask where the openings were too small to get fingers through so it was harder to grab hold of. It wasn’t for style reasons like some of the other guys. He was one of, if not the, first to do it.

Spinal issue or chronic lower back condition? Meaning that anybody who managed to grab and twist Canty or Tuck’s facemask could feasibly twist their backs.

Now, a quick image search shows they also have the eye visor that, presumably, makes it impossible to grab the facemask from the front and yank it. The preventative measures of the facemask would be nullified if they didn’t have the eye visor too

LynnBal says:Aug 10, 2013 8:49 AM

Chris Canty suffered an injury to his eye shortly before being drafted that makes having an facemask that’s difficult to grab ideal.

When Canty was drafted, he was recovering from eye surgery. He almost lost an eye in a fight, and in turned is a reason why he was drafted later in the draft. I assume that his health history would permit him to have an exception.

The article very wrongly makes it look like Canty and Tuck have BS issues justifying their facemasks, but there is plenty of reportage and direct comments from the two players over the years explaining their issues.

Canty was hit in the eye by a bottle when he was an uninvolved bystander to a bar fight in college. He can see out of his eye, but it is now more sensitive to trauma, so he wears an eye shield and an extensive facemask to prevent opponent’s fingers intentionally or unintentionally poking him in his previously injured eye. There are plenty of articles available on the web about it.

Tuck had a bad neck sprain a few years ago. He switched to an extensive facemask so that opponents would not intentionally or unintentionally grab or twist his facemask and make his neck problems worse.

With all the attention given to football injuries, player health, and rules requiring protective equipment, no one should mock or made snide remarks about player safety concerns.

Likely due to the medical note written by Doctor Mara – the same jerk who prescribed penalties for the Redskins and Cowboys – the worthless family that runs both the Giants and the NFL. There is no medical basis for the waiver – just a payback for a man who is a disgusting human being as an owner.